Gateway Resettlement Programme

The Gateway Protection Programme is the UK's contribution to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) global resettlement programme. Candidates for resettlement to the UK will have been classified by UNHCR field offices as refugees and selected on the basis that they have pressing humanitarian or security needs, are not able to return to their countries of origin and cannot integrate locally. The Home Office then makes the decision on who to accept under the UK programme, currently set at 750 people per year.

Our work with the Resettlement Programme:

Sheffield was the first city in the UK to welcome refugees through the Gateway Protection Programme with a group of Liberians arriving in 2004. Since then, the Refugee Council has continued to play a leading role in providing specialist support to refugees who are resettled across the Yorkshire & Humberside region, in Sheffield and Hull. Refugee Action and Horton Housing provide similar specialist support in the Northwest and Bradford respectively. The Gateway Protection programme is funded by the Home Office and European funding.

In March 2016 Hull Celebrated 10 years of refugee resettlement. Find out more.

Groups of resettled refugees are supported for 12 months by a team of staff which includes project workers, community development workers and volunteer co-ordinators. Refugee Council works in partnership with Sheffield and Hull City Councils and and voluntary sector agencies to provide a full support service including:

"One day I want to help rebuild Iraq and Syria." - Amaal was resettled to the UK after fleeing war in Syria. She now studies architecture and hopes her work can benefit the community that welcomed her, and the one she was forced to leave behind. This is her story.

“I appreciate how lucky I am.” - Busilanaand his family fled conflict in Congo when he was just seven years old. He spent nearly 15 years growing up as a refugee in Rwanda before being resettled in Hull in 2011. This is his story.

“Now we look forward to the future.” -Hamed worked with British forces in Iraq and was forced to flee when militias targeted his family. Then war took over their new home in Syria. This is his story.